


keep what you steal (it's yours, yours, yours)

by Ceryna



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alternate Universe - Royalty, M/M, with some fantasy elements thrown in
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 21:42:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28535334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceryna/pseuds/Ceryna
Summary: Magic is neither good nor evil. That is determined by those who would wield it—and whether they are against the throne. And when the throne looks like Tetsurou, there are many who would do their best—or worst—to steal it.
Relationships: Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 8
Kudos: 33





	keep what you steal (it's yours, yours, yours)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hoetaku97](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hoetaku97/gifts).



> this was written for a casual gift exchange hosted by cam! thank you for organizing this~
> 
> to my giftee, em: thank you very much for all the prompts, i really appreciated having lots of options to choose from and i hope you enjoy this mashup!
> 
> special thanks to [Lee](https://twitter.com/YORUUSS) and [Lou](https://twitter.com/abrandnewheart) for the beta-reads!! <3
> 
>  **ADDITIONAL CONTENT WARNINGS:**  
>  \- alcohol mention  
> \- innuendo

Kei pinches the stem of his glass of sparkling wine. The skin of his fingers is pink from holding it. The effort it takes to hold it steady is minimal, but he's been holding it untouched for—he spares a short glance to his watch—almost thirty minutes.

A short glance is all he has time for. Other than that, his attention is focused on the environment: the gallery hall is filled with portraits and pieces Kei finds highly unflattering. The guests in ostentatious suits are even more so.

His disdain wavers, though, as his gaze catches on his assignment. _Tetsurou,_ he'd asked to be called—is wearing a freshly pressed, tailored suit. It looks black in the gallery lighting, but Kei knows that the fabric is midnight blue.

Knows, because he saw it up close hours earlier—when he was inspecting it for stray needles, hidden devices, and poisons. And was not thinking about Tetsurou in said suit.

Or out of it.

No, definitely not that.

Tetsurou looks divine, as an heir to the throne should. Poised with a near-effortless smile and eyes full of genuine kindness.

Kei's assignment is to protect that kindness: to ensure it does not fade, and keep it from being stolen. An arduous task, made only more difficult by the magic running in his veins.

It's not that magic is outlawed, it's just... _highly regulated._ And while Kei tends to prefer law and order, he's not particularly interested in obeying these ones. Which is why he took the job in the first place. Magic runs wild. There's no denying that. But those that walk its path know it doesn't have to be malicious.

Magic is neither good nor evil. That is determined by those who would wield it—and whether they are against the throne. And when the throne looks like Tetsurou, there are many who would do their best—or worst—to steal it.

Tonight is unlikely to be an exception. So when Tetsurou breaks from the crowd, Kei follows in his footsteps. Nineteen paces to weave through attendees, and nine more to casually exit to the terrace.

"Did you miss me?"

Kei, against all his training and expectations, _jumps._ The wine glass slips from his fingertips and—thankfully—into Tetsurou's waiting palm. "No," he murmurs shakily, wiping his sweaty hands on his pants as he scans the terrance and castle ground for any sign of malice.

Tetsurou sips from the wine glass, making a face at the flavor before setting it down on the terrace. He raises an eyebrow at Kei. "Are you sure?"

Kei heaves a sigh. "Yes," he says coldly. "Quite." His eyes narrow at the gazes he can sense through the gallery windows. He tosses his head towards the building, at the people—admirers, companions, patrons—who have noticed Tetsurou's absence. _"They_ miss you."

Tetsurou turns away from the windows, away from Kei. "Oh," he says, peering off into moonlit darkness.

There's nothing happy in that syllable. It's flat. Worn with hollowness Kei recognizes but is powerless to stop—but Kei would never condescend to call himself powerless.

"I—" He begins slowly, placing a hand down on the terrace railing—frighteningly close to Tetsurou's. Words may be his forte, but speaking them is never easy. "I miss you, too."

A breath leaves his lungs in a shudder as Tetsurou glances back at him. Kei has never liked being the center of attention, but Tetsurou's gaze is patient. Forgiving. "Even though you're right there, you're a thousand stars away."

"So in your eyes, I'm a star."

Kei sputters a laugh. "When did I say that?"

"You didn't." Tetsurou smiles, eyes shining. "But I'm good at listening for the things you don't say."

At that, Kei bites his lip. It's true that Tetsurou has always listened—lent an ear whenever Kei has had something to say. But for him to express that he listens to Kei's silences, too— 

He interrupts his own thoughts then, something prickling along the back of his neck. He murmurs some protective charms just before the wine glass explodes. 

An order rolls off his tongue. "Get down."

Tetsurou complies, but it doesn't stop him from muttering, "Don’t you know how politeness works?"

Kei shrugs out of his suit jacket, draping the charmed fabric over Tetsurou's head. "Yeah," he bites out in reply, "but it takes too long." By that word, he's already summoned his bow from his shadowstone ring, a curse nocked like an arrow. He fires it into the trees. "You think I have time to tell you, 'on your knees, please' every time someone wants to assassinate you?"

"You don't need to say 'please' with me." While Tetsurou's face is masked by the jacket, his voice is clear. "I'll get on my knees for you anytime."

The tips of Kei's ears feel like they've been singed by lava. He murmurs another arrow into existence, a charm woven from air itself, and whispers it to his bow, letting it fly. Only after his spell reaches the assailant does he manage to catch his breath, slipping down beneath the railing and pulling his jacket to cover _both_ their blushing faces.

Behind that curtain—there is no gala, there are no assassins. It's just them. 

Maybe that's what leads Kei to lean in until the tip of his nose brushes Tetsurou's. "You'll get on your knees for me anytime, hm?"

Tetsurou inclines his head in the slightest of nods. "Anytime. Yep. Just say the word."

Kei smiles. "I'll hold you to that."

And under the cover of darkness, if he leans in to steal a kiss—or three—no one has to know.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you enjoyed the story (^^)
> 
> comments help fuel my writing! i'd love to know your favorite line, what you liked about the story, or if you'd like to see more fic like this from me! ^^ 
> 
> I'm on Twitter [here](https://twitter.com/Ceryna_writes)!


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